2 dead, others injured in 3 motorcycle crashes

Published: Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 3:41 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 12:20 a.m.

Two motorcyclists are dead and others were injured in three separate crashes Saturday afternoon, officials said.

The most recent occurred about 5 p.m. near the intersection of State Road 44 and Genesis Way in New Smyrna Beach, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

A dispatcher with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said Air-One was called to the wreck about 5:30 p.m. after a motorcycle with two people on it went into a barbed-wire fence.

The 2008 Honda motorcycle was eastbound on S.R. 44 when the driver lost control, left the road and hit the fence, ejecting the driver and passenger, who were both from Edgewater, FHP said in a news release.

The driver was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach with critical injuries; the passenger taken to Bert Fish Medical Center died, FHP said.

The first fatal wreck occurred about 3:15 p.m. on Old Dixie Highway just south of Pumphouse Road in Ormond Beach, according to FHP.

Rene Meigs, 25, of Pompano Beach, was traveling on his 2005 Suzuki motorcycle at a high rate of speed northbound on Old Dixie Highway, according to FHP. He used the southbound lane to pass a northbound vehicle, and when he attempted to pass a second vehicle he lost control of the bike and overturned before hitting a tree on the west shoulder. FHP said he was wearing a helmet.

Air-One also was called to a crash near the intersection of Osteen Maytown and Lake Harney roads near Osteen, the dispatcher said.

<p>Two motorcyclists are dead and others were injured in three separate crashes Saturday afternoon, officials said.</p><p>The most recent occurred about 5 p.m. near the intersection of State Road 44 and Genesis Way in New Smyrna Beach, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. </p><p>A dispatcher with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said Air-One was called to the wreck about 5:30 p.m. after a motorcycle with two people on it went into a barbed-wire fence.</p><p>The 2008 Honda motorcycle was eastbound on S.R. 44 when the driver lost control, left the road and hit the fence, ejecting the driver and passenger, who were both from Edgewater, FHP said in a news release.</p><p>The driver was taken to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach with critical injuries; the passenger taken to Bert Fish Medical Center died, FHP said. </p><p>The first fatal wreck occurred about 3:15 p.m. on Old Dixie Highway just south of Pumphouse Road in Ormond Beach, according to FHP.</p><p>Rene Meigs, 25, of Pompano Beach, was traveling on his 2005 Suzuki motorcycle at a high rate of speed northbound on Old Dixie Highway, according to FHP. He used the southbound lane to pass a northbound vehicle, and when he attempted to pass a second vehicle he lost control of the bike and overturned before hitting a tree on the west shoulder. FHP said he was wearing a helmet.</p><p>Air-One also was called to a crash near the intersection of Osteen Maytown and Lake Harney roads near Osteen, the dispatcher said.</p><p>The crash near Osteen occurred about 4 p.m., according to FHP.</p>